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Mongolia’s ruling party picks a new prime minister candidate after leader’s resignation

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Mongolia’s ruling party selected a new candidate for prime minister Sunday after the last head of government, Zandanshatar Gombojav, resigned after only nine months on the job.

Uchral Nyam-Osor, the current party chairman who is serving as speaker of the Parliament, was nominated at a meeting of the Mongolian People’s Party, according to state news agency Montsame. Uchral first joined the MPP in 2009, and is seen as a compromise candidate amid different party factions.

Zandanshatar’s resignation came after one of his senior ministers faced allegations of corruption. He also faced a boycott from the opposition Democratic Party, which has refused to attend parliament sessions since earlier this month, citing concerns over a concentration of power within the ruling party.

The turmoil is likely to exacerbate distrust in the government. Mongolia is a relatively new democracy, transitioning from a one-party Communist system in 1990. While it has continued to hold elections, its people complain of corruption and a resulting political system designed to benefit elites.

Foreign investors have been wary of Mongolia’s political volatility and the short tenure of successive governments.

The country of 3.4 million people is heavily dependent on mining exports to neighboring China and has struggled with shifting regulations and corruption concerns.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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